Update Beosound Theatre 3.2.1

[Marc]

Received the update 3.2.1 yesterday. Sound volume from TV has decreased drastically. Normal listening volume was around 50, now I have to crank it up to 55!! Switching between channels causes audio loss! Sometimes no sound at all. In other words, drama. Anyone else with the same problems?

[NQVHNWI]

I’ve had 3.2.1 for a few weeks now. No issues on my side.

You don’t state if you have Front L/R with the Theatre or standalone, nor the size/distance for sound at 55?

I have found a need (going back over the last couple of months at least) to ease-off the BL90s db and increase the Theatre Soundbar db level. (Configured C-C-C). I typically listen to Atmos movies at 40 volume – so it all comes into effect.

I imagine if B&O have done anything to the soundbar, they have probably just stepped up the attenuation to make it a bit more controlled and less boomy at a given volume and given roomsense calibration and given accompanying surrounds etc..

[Sandyb]

same as below, I’ve had 3.2.1 for a few days now, and no volume issues on either of my Theatre setups (one is standalone, one has 50s/17s also attached). No volume issues post update on either.

Watched a blu-ray (i.e 5.1) last night on my larger setup – i.e good quality signal – and volume 40 was perfect.

Watching the same content now on my standalone bedroom Theatre – this time from Paramount+, which only gives a PCM 2.0 signal – and I need volume 53.

Otherwise though,  when it comes to the 3.2.1 update, no changes or issues here.

[Marc]

Thanks for the info guys. Just watched An Atmos movie (Kodi) and the sound was perfect. Just when watching Live tv the volume decreased. Used it standalone, 65 inch LG tv.

[Sandyb]

hang on a sec – maybe I spoke too soon.

Was watching some st top box tv today – and you’re right, I had to crank up the volume to 59/60 to get even a normal volume!

Puzzling – was fine with my blu ray watching yesterday.

Hmm.

[swestland]

As I understood they implemented a fix for the 2.0 PCM sound not being properly upmixed. I noticed a huge difference when watching 2.0 content with this update, its sound a lot better! Before it sounded like all sound was coming from a center speaker with no bass.

I also notice difference in volume I have to make for that kind of content… Can’t apply a default to it, as some content on netflix is in 2.0 en others is in dolby. So I guess they still need to fine tune the algoritm a bit.. Maybe @geoff can elaborate a bit on this.

[Sandyb]

I’ll message Christian on Discord – he got to run some pct 2.0 tests yesterday

[Sandyb]

Ok, I’ve tested quite a lot of content this evening.

I think I’ve figured out what they’ve done / what has gone wrong.

Dolby True HD (5.1) content (via Bluray) is fine – nothing has gone wrong here.

Atmos content (via Netflix) is fine – nothing has gone wrong here either.

But the recent SW update was trying to fix some sound processing issues with Dolby Digital – the release notes say “Fixed an issue where bass was lacking in 2.0 setup, when playing Dolby Digital 5.1 content”.  It was also trying to address the processing issues with PCM 2.0.

And its with Dolby Digital content where things have gone wrong, and PCM 2.0 now sounds fine – essentially they’ve swapped one problem for another.

On live Tv now, my set top box is delivering todays BBC football highlights show now at Dolby Digital 5.1 – and its sounds wrong / very quiet.    The BBC app is showing the same live show at PCM 2.0, and its sounds right – much louder.

In trying to fix the two issues that were pre-existing, they’;ve swapped one problem for another.

 

[Marc]

You could be right on that. At volume set to 30 i almost get no sound. Watching Live tv.

 

!

[Sandyb]

can you possibly report the issue in the B&O app please?

I’ll do the same, and I’ve messaged Christian through the Discord server.

[Marc]

I will do that. ?

[Sandyb]

Quick q – for the setup where you are experiencing this, do you have other speakers attached?

[Marc]

Watching live TV has the decreased volume. Other speakers are attached (Beolab 28) but I don’t use them watching live tv. Only when watching movies.

[Sandyb]

thanks – actually I’m experiencing the same low volume issue on both my Theatre setups – one has 50s/17s attached, one is standalone.

 

 

[Millemissen]

You could use one of the MyButtons for Live TV and set the startup volume somewhat higher there.

Sure that does not solve ‘the problem’….if there is any – but it makes things less annoying.

MM

[Marc]

??

[NQVHNWI]

Millemissen wrote:

You could use one of the MyButtons for Live TV and set the startup volume somewhat higher there. Sure that does not solve ‘the problem’….if there is any – but it makes things less annoying. MM

I don’t think it does?

Sandyb’s problem is the sound format. Some channels on Live TV broadcast different lower grade formats……PCM2.0 to 5.1. this is where the “bug” lies. On the UK Freeview service, you can literally CH+/CH- and go 5.1, 2.0, 5.1, 2.0………..

“Higher grade” subscription services (Netflix, Disney, Amazon) can do 5.1, DD+ or Atmos. These subscription services tend to have a more consistent playback sound/volume (less format changes) and not the problem from Sandyb’s perspective and not where the PCM2.0 bug resided.

What I do find…is that specifically with Netflix, it tends to play quite a bit louder than others – and that can be solved by Mybuttons on source change.

The “bug” needs to be fixed by B&O PDQ.

What I don’t understand however is that reading across multiple forums is some people like myself have not experienced the volume dip bug as SandyB does in 3.2.1, or the switch to standby or a good deal of other bugs?  I do not recall the last time I noticed the PCM2.0 problem for many months (not just SW3.2.1 update).

Whereas this particular instance seems to have swapped one bug for another, from reading, SandyBs Theatre’s seem to be very buggy, whereas mine seem not to have (they have had issues – but nothing like SandyBs issues).

I have a hypothesis that this issue is a lot deeper than we know and a reason why B&O can never seem to fix the issues in Mozart. Old bugs never get written-out, or come back or new bugs replace old ones. I think the problem is the additive nature of Mozart and when peripheral equipment is added (speakers, Beolink, other Mozart devices or Set top boxes of any flavour or HDMI devices), specific code comes (configured) in and unintended consequences result. Add this speaker and this HDMI device…no issues. Add something else…or different speakers or a Set top box or an AppleTV combination…and issues appear?

 

 

[Sandyb]

Indeed, and who knows really.

Remember it was Geoff/Flatpanels review that highlighted the original PCM 2.0 issue with True Image.   As mentioned before, this was very noticeable on my standalone Theatre, not noticeable on my Theatre/50s/17 room.  So I can see why not everyone experienced it, but it was an issue.

Elsewhere, as seen in the 3.2.1 release notes, there was a separate issue “Fixed an issue where bass was lacking in 2.0 setup, when playing Dolby Digital 5.1 content”

For those who largely / just watch Netflix Atmos stuff, or Discs with Dolby True HD – there is no issue, and indeed I have no issue with this content.

But with live Tv, as programmes switch from PCM / Dolby Dig 2.0 to Dolby Dig 5.1 and back again, the volume drops away / rises by a big amount, requiring a 10-15 volume adjustment.

CK (over on Discord) passed on a msg he had from Geoff – that the new SW has changed the time alignment of the left/centre/right channels, and there should be some sound changes, although what type of setup he was referring to is unclear.

Anyway, I’ll pick it up with CK this week.

And bear in mind, Marc above is having the same issue.

[CRDS]

After updating Beosound theatre to software 3.2.1 there is a buzzing noise coming from the rear speakers, has anybody else experienced similar issues?

Set-up is Beolab 5 front, Beolab 9 rears, and  2 pairs of Beolab 3’s as front and rear height channels, all connected via powerlink cables.

[airmax_zh]

Same here… with BL6000 rears and BL5 front. BL5 are fine, rears have the noise.

[Author]

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